If it’s Friday, it must be France…
Excusez-moi! I’ve been a little off the radar on the blog this past week. There’s been a lot going on in my writing world. How’ve you been?
I spent some time processing all the fabulous writing and publishing information generated at the PubSmart Conference, I attended in Charleston SC, April 16, 17, 18. There will be a blog post about it soon. Wow, did I learn a lot !
The conference was also a great opportunity to mingle with and meet so many interesting and energizing people who are committed to sharing information and working together to get better at what we do! It was SO good to spend some time in person with some of my online “besties”. Making connections with people who motivate and inspire you is such a buzz, isn’t it? Have you had the same experience lately? I’d love to hear about it!
Next I took a big load off my shoulders when I hit “send” and fired my manuscript off to my editor. With any luck, we will be good to go for a July 1st release and I’m excited! The cover art is in the works as well!
There’s always a moment of what I refer to as “extreme anxiety” when an author sends a new novel off to their trusted advance readers. These are avid readers who have promised to be completely honest and candid in their comments about your new work. Their word is their bond and we trust them implicitly! Their comments are the best way to make our work even better. Here’s the thing, we’ve lived with the story for months or years and we feel good about it and we hope everyone else will too … but … what if they don’t … egos must be set aside. It’s all part of the process … and I love it!
But, zut alors, it’s Friday and I want to be talking about France!
The countdown is on … 31, 30 … in 29 more days my husband and I will be back in Nice, France. It feels more like going home than going on holiday and we are always thrilled to be there!
Here’s how our first morning will play out:
~ Walk along the Promenade des Anglais, just minutes from our apartment, pausing for a croissant and café au lait at a beach restaurant.
~ Dip our feet in the Med and plan to come for a swim in the afternoon.

~ Stop in at the fab daily market in the old town and pick up some cheese, fruits, veggies, and a big bouquet of flowers.
~ Attempt to limit the number of photographs I take on my first day!
~ Write for an hour or two and then meet friends for lunch. From that point on … who knows?
Bon weekend, tout le monde!
You know I love to spend time in the south of France and write about this breathtaking area on my blog and in my novels. I’ll be researching my next novel as well as spending part of each day writing, and I hope you will enjoy my reports.
Better yet! Come and visit for yourself. For part of June, my friend and fellow author, Susan Sommers and I will be leading a tour of the south of France for women, organized by the Womens Travel Network . There are two spots open in the first tour from June 12 to June 22. The second tour from June 25 to July 5, is sold out. Call your BFF, your mom, your sister, or just come on your own as you will find great company in our group of travellers. I know at this point it would be a spur of the moment decision, but those are often the best kind!
Have you been to the south of France? If so, please tell us your favourite spots to visit! Any questions? Fire away! I’ll be happy to find the answers for you.
And, by the way, this is another home exchange for us. I keep saying what an affordable and friendly way this is to travel. Try it! You’ll like it!